Australia Facing Worst Drought for 1000 Years

The irony continues as those who shun action on climate change are suffering the most from climate change.

Along with the United States, Australia has suffered a major drought this year, “the worst for 1000 years.” Australia and the U.S. are the only two industrialized countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Australia already has an arid climate, but the recent drought is having a devastating effect on water resources. It has also taken its toll on the economy, significantly slowing Australia’s growth since so much of the country’s GDP relies on agriculture.

62 Responses to Australia Facing Worst Drought for 1000 Years

Australia has had droughts forever. There’s absolutely no evidence that this particular drought is due to global warming, and you’re wrong to attribute it so. One can only make statistical arguments related to global warming, not a direct attribute.

Why is there so strong a need to believe it isn’t global warming first, Keith? Which blogger, right-wing talk show host, or Republican oil-rich politician has got your ear? Is the SUV getting expensive to run? What causes such denial of the reality of melting ice caps and droughts? Why not take precautions at least? Wow, when you are old and proven wrong, will you ever think of apologizing? I doubt it.

How about we stop thinking of slowing economies as a bad thing. If anything economic growth fuels the depletion of resources and contributes to climate change. Less is not just more, it’s likely to be better too :-)

I am not denying global warming, and no right-wing talk radio host has my ear, stupid. I recognize that global warming is taking place, and I recognize the signs. But no particular drought or hurricane can be directly attributed to global warming — droughts and hurricanes, even severe ones, have occurred throughout history, and will continue to occur even if there were no global warming. If you understood the science behind global warming you’d understand that it increases droughts and hurricanes in a statistical sense only — average over time.

Unless you have specific, detailed, particular cause-and-effect proof that the current Australian drought is caused by global warming. If so, present it. Otherwise, admit you’re wrong.

Global warming influences the statistical frequency of drought, but it also fuels the severity, which is what we’re seeing in Australia. What is notable about the current drought is that its intensity is unprecedented “in living memory”, to quote Australia’s Prime Minister. That means that this drought usurps Ausralia’s worst droughts since World War II, including ones related to El Nino. In the past four months, southeastern parts of Australia (usually the most temperate) have experienced rainfall deficiencies that are the lowest on record. At the end of November, the government released a Drought Statement with maps that can be found here: .

Australia is already arid to semi-arid, but that is exactly what makes it more vulnerable to the smallest changes in climate, and may be why we are seeing it among the first to react. A cause and effect relationship is difficult to show because climate change sets up the overall trends, and it is those trends’ conditions that spur drought. But it is also the case that global warming is a factor in the equation that cannot be taken out. That is why climate change mandates attention and action to address the part of the consequence it does influence.

Asking for cause and effect proof is not necessarily the best question to ask because the relationship is much more complex. The causes have causes, which have causes, and so on. But we do know that global warming impacts that cycle and alters its results, exemplified by this drought’s “uncharted territory” in Australian history.

[…] an ironic coincidence that severe droughts (and wildfires) have hit Oklahoma and Texas, Wyoming, Australia, and China–states and countries with political leaders (or former leaders) opposed to climate […]

[…] they have burned all over the globe, Australia has paid particular attention. For years, Australia has experienced severe drought that has forced them to rethink their water management and policies (or lack thereof) addressing […]

DEAR SIR,
I am a private researcher my name is Robert Jones currently living with my family in Queensland Australia.As you are aware,the devastating drought conditions throughout Australia are forecast to worsen in following years.I am a firm believer that actions speak much louder than words.I have spent many years researching rainfall stimulating technology that was extensively trialled in some of the driest regions on earth with astounding success.

I request only a modest amount of funding to cover material costs allowing me to fabricate a relatively simple piece of technology that will take no more than three months to build and will restore normal rainfall within 48 hours of application.Subsequent individual field trials were undertaken during mild to severe droughts in Florida,(2) Illinois,(2) Georgia/S.Carolina,(3) Arizona,(4) Washington State (4) and California (5) Results were very positive, with a restoration of natural rainfall episodes generally within 48 hours after operations commenced.”I have all the meteorological data and details of these trials”

Rain stimulation experiments have also proceeded in arid and semi-arid lands, in the Southwestern USA (6), Greece,(7) Cyprus,(7) Israel,(8) Namibia (9) and Eritrea (10). These latter cases often constituted more definitive case studies, given the drier desert conditions under which the apparatus was tested. Nevertheless, the results were also positive in these cases, sometimes far beyond our expectations, with the termination of drought conditions and development of significant rains over adjacent desert areas.

I must stress that the technology works and was trialled over more than two decades.The total cost of building the equipment is less than $10,000.00 the results are guaranteed.Please consider what the current droughts are costing the Australian Government sir and take immediate action.I propose that after the first successful operation that this technology can be used throughout the worse effected drought regions of Australia especially in water catchment and crop growing regions.

I am at this moment unemployed,this will create employment for me for a considerable duration and I will be providing a valuable service to the Australian Government and the primary producers of Australia.The restoration of normal rainfall will also lift the current serious water restrictions throughout our nation.I can be contacted on Ph (07) 41290429 office or Ph (07) 41294492 home (all hours) Please take my proposal seriously Sir,for only a modest investment you will see great results.Kind regards Robert Jones

I think that Jeff really doesn’t know what he’s talking about. U GO KEITH!! Jeff’s in over his head. What Jeff didn’t tell you is that the warming of the globe fluctuates, if Jeff doesn’t know what this means I’ll tell him. A closer look at the issue reveals a surprising lack of evidence for a global crisis. It is true that carbon dioxide and methane levels have increased slightly, and that this increase may be due to man’s efforts, but predictions of global warming are based on theory alone, and most of these theories predict mild increases in average temperatures. All of the scientific evidence gathered indicates that there is no danger of global warming disaster. Earth’s average temperatures tend to fluctuate over long-term cycles Earth has been considerably warmer in the past than it is now. For example, from A.D. 900 to A.D. 1100, a period scientist’s refer too as the “Medieval Climate Optimum,” global temperatures were warmer on average than at present. SO Jeffy, you have nothing to be afraid of.

Well, the drought has broken but the theory of human induced global warming lives on. Supporters of the theory seem to rely wholly on anecdotal and emotive arguments, refusing to deal with the complexities this theory encompasses.
Here’s a tip – whenever a group supporting a theory regularly resort to abusing their opponents it is a sign that the theory lacks substance.

Records show a history of global warming, droughts, floods……. global cooling, more droughts more floods ……… now its man-made global warming, droughts, floods. I wonder when we will have man-made global cooling?
What is certain governments will use this as an excuse to ramp up our energy bills whether conditions are hot or cool, wet or dry.

Records show a history of global warming, droughts, floods……. global cooling, more droughts more floods ……… now its man-made global warming, droughts, floods. I wonder when we will have man-made global cooling?
What is certain, governments will use this as an excuse to ramp up our energy bills whether conditions are hot or cool, wet or dry.

The primary scource of rain for the south east of Australia comes from the Bight via the SE Trade winds. Because the interior of Australia is usually hot, the area is almost always a region of high pressure. The cold fronts from the Bight are then pushed away into the Tasman. Look at any isobaric chart.

When Lake Eyre flooded in 1974 it got 10 cubic kilometres from the Thompson/Coopers Creek and the Warburton. 10000 years ago it was 450
cubic kilometres. Lake Eyre (or should I say The Great Australian Sea)would have covered about a third of the State and did flow to the sea before an earthquake raised the Flinders Ranges and chopped it off.
Such a large area of water would evaporate a lot daily. This would cool the air above which would lower the air pressure thereby making the chance of the rain bearing Trade winds pushing further north than it does now.
As well as bringing the northern waters to the Lake, a channel from the Spencer Gulf to Lake Torrens should be dug STRAIGHT THROUGH the Flinders Ranges.
Link a channel from Spencer Gulf sloping down to fill Lake Torrens. Link another from the lake back to the sea to start filling when Lake Torrens reaches sea level.(.Aim for 25cu.km/year(37metrecube/min). For this to occur, I estimate at least a volume of 200 cu.km. Implement the Bradfield Scheme in its original form i. e. bring the northern waters down through the Thompson (without diverting too much to rice,cotton etc)and through a dredged Diamantina/Coopers etc and bring 50 cu.km/year into the lake. Evaporation losses would be severe in the first year but expansion of the total covered area would eventually combine Eyre(N&S).,Torrens and Gardiner.As I have argued above, this would modify the pattern of the SW fronts.
CSIRO published a report in 2003 stating that filling Lake Eyre would not affect climate.. And they were correct.Ergo, the Bradfield plan was a crock. Bradfield never said “fill”; he said “flood”.
There would be a salt gradient from North to South(as there once was).

I envisage an area of 100.000 sq. km approx covered by water. I contend the cooling from evaporation(estimate 50 cu.km?year) would modify the SW winds to push further north. The evaporated water will not, form clouds. It is just too hot.
Take a look at a map of the channel country in SE Qld. The Diamantina and the Thompson disappear into myriad streams. Why? Then look at the catchment basin for Lake Eyre. The edge of this matches where the above rivers begin to break up.

There once was a Great Australian Sea. It collapsed in very recent times. Take out a map and have a look at the myriad ghost rivers which once fed it.
We need to fill the original “Lake Eyre” basin from the Reid Scheme and the Bradfield Scheme AND to connect Torrens to the sea, even if pumping stations are needed. Over time, all the salt will be flushed out to sea through the Torrens tunnels.
To get water from A to B you can pipe/channel it or else, you can channel water A to a region C which causes, because of weather patterns, to fall in B.
If we can cool central Australia with a sea fed from 12 northen rivers and the sea from the south and which has a volume of at least 300 cu km then “the balance will tilt ” back in our favour.

We can change this continent . All it takes is some robust debate about how rain falls.
Global warming or not, this continent is suffering now. We can change it but I reckon some of you are too transfixed on doomsday scenarios to consider.

We can change this continent . All it takes is some robust debate about how rain falls.
Global warming or not, this continent is suffering now. We can change it but I reckon some of you are too transfixed on doomsday scenarios to consider.

The primary scource of rain for the south east of Australia comes from the Bight via the SE Trade winds. Because the interior of Australia is usually hot, the area is almost always a region of high pressure. The cold fronts from the Bight are then pushed away into the Tasman. Look at any isobaric chart.

Records show a history of global warming, droughts, floods……. global cooling, more droughts more floods ……… now its man-made global warming, droughts, floods. I wonder when we will have man-made global cooling?
What is certain, governments will use this as an excuse to ramp up our energy bills whether conditions are hot or cool, wet or dry.

Records show a history of global warming, droughts, floods……. global cooling, more droughts more floods ……… now its man-made global warming, droughts, floods. I wonder when we will have man-made global cooling?
What is certain, governments will use this as an excuse to ramp up our energy bills whether conditions are hot or cool, wet or dry.

perhaps the Australian people should overcome their atheism and belief in Darwin and evolution to explain our world and the universe, and turn to God who brings the rain:

“He makes it rain on the just and the unjust:-Matthew 5:25.

Farmers in drought stricken parts of Texas have done just that, and the skies opened up and poured rain in the past 200 years of American history. Georgia did the same this last year, and the rains came!

I recognize that global warming is taking place, and I recognize the signs.

But no particular drought or hurricane can be directly attributed to global warming — droughts and hurricanes, even severe ones, have occurred throughout history, and will continue to occur even if there were no global warming.

No mater what the cause of the drought, im growing a garden, getting drinking water from a well saltier than most seas. Im off grid, and using little to no power except to bring the brackish water to the surface.

It is so cheep its free, using recycled items that are filling the land fills. And I can make 6 a day, to provide for 6 plants or one humans drinking water. I just wish someone would listen. It could save millions of lives all over the globe. And they are trouble free requiring almost no time to keep them running, just a yearly cleaning.

Dr Vincent Kotwicki, author of the book, it would seem to me a neophyte, on Lake Eyre flooding, knows a lot, but allows contradictions to go unresolved. Filling Eyre by a channel from the ocean, and keeping it full, would somehow not increase rainfall around the lake, and yet the tremendous evaporation would accumulate deep salt deposits which would pose an environmental problem. What harm would a salt pan do in south central Australia? Don’t the Israelis mine and sell salt? Also ten billion dollars to dig the channel is now chump change to Obama trying to revive the American economy. What better loan could Australia take out?

Dr Vincent Kotwicki, author of the book, it would seem to me a neophyte, on Lake Eyre flooding, knows a lot, but allows contradictions to go unresolved. Filling Eyre by a channel from the ocean, and keeping it full, would somehow not increase rainfall around the lake, and yet the tremendous evaporation would accumulate deep salt deposits which would pose an environmental problem. What harm would a salt pan do in south central Australia? Don’t the Israelis mine and sell salt? Also ten billion dollars to dig the channel is now chump change to Obama trying to revive the American economy. What better loan could Australia take out?